User talk:Wandering wind

Dear Wikipedia, The information you wrote about modern Halloween (i.e.trick or treat)--really Samhain--on Wikipedia was very full and fun. Unfortunately, you included practically no information about the sacred ancient traditions this holiday also has for those who still practice Wiccan culture--folks who follow the ancient Celtic earth based religions. For these people, this day was not about candy, parties, and gruesome other things but a holy day to honor the dead. To Wiccans this is a day of sadness to remember those who have died. A plate of food is placed out for them, candles lit in the windows to invite departed spirits and to remember them with love. The veil between this world and the spirit world was thinnest at this Celtic new year's time. None of this is mentioned in your article. You do mention witches as being ugly and flying aover the moon, etc. If I was a Wiccan person I would take this as a racial/spiritual slur. Wikipedia editors and interested folks, please go to "Wicca" or "Samhain" on the web to beef up your knowledge of this holy pagan holiday and get some pagan people's points of view about Halloween/Samhain. There is an excellent rebuttal to Halloween stereotypes if people type in "Halloween" and go to the third or fourth web site. I am glad that you at least mentioned way at the end of the article that Wiccans object to silly and harmful Halloween traditions--but don't mention which ones. I wish you had also mentioned that Samhain (Halloween) is still celebrated by Wiccan people--a federally recognized religion. More needs to be added to better represent their viewpoints and get rid of harmful stereotypes (even tv with "Bewitched" explains these witch stereotypes well!). Incedentally in rebuttal to those Christians who say "Halloween" and witches are evil--well, they know nothing about the Wiccan crede of "Harm ye none"--much more evil has been commited in the name of Christianity than Wicca could ever approach. For a more balanced report, how about including a Wiccan person on your editorial board when writing about "Halloween/Samhain"? Wandering wind 19:23, 31 October 2006 (UTC)Wandering Wind